There is a vast and growing industry dedicated to gathering, organizing, and presenting media content to consumers (viewers and/or users) of information such as news, entertainment, sports, emergency alerts, advertisements, and other subject matter. This industry is supplying information to consumers at an ever-increasing rate. This overabundance of information will soon surpass the standard methods consumers use to sift through the information to access the information that is desired. For example, serially switching channels on a television from one channel number to the next highest (or lowest) channel number is inefficient, frustrating, and time-consuming. The problem becomes exacerbated as the number of available television channels increases. The typical television viewer normally is not interested in viewing any but a small fraction of the available channels and the need to “surf” through a huge number of channels to reach a desired channel makes the viewing experience less than optimal. Even jumping to a particular channel (e.g., by entering the channel number into a remote control device) becomes problematic since the viewer must remember the channel number, manage the rearrangement of channels which may change from time-to-time as distributors rearrange their channel assignments to accommodate new programming and/or remove old programming, and associate desired content with completely different channel numbers if the viewer travels to a different geographic location. This problem is in no way limited to television viewing as is evident by the increase in the number of terrestrial radio stations as well as the advent of satellite radio “stations” with their large number of channels dedicated to particular musical, informational, or “talk radio” content. Similarly, for example, media content presented to consumers via the internet is continually expanding and the consumer is presented with comparable problems. A further example is a music-playing device, such as a personal portable music player for which the consumer can add/delete content at will. There are also other means of communication for which the need to manage the flow of information is becoming necessary.
Furthermore, current systems for interfacing with a content presentation system (e.g., a television, a radio, an internet-connected device, a music playing device, a portable entertainment device, a personal digital assistant, a cellular phone/information system, and combinations thereof) may not have the means to identify the user nor present content for which the identified user is most likely seeking access. Those systems that do require that the user actively input information into the system. Additionally, current interfacing systems do not share their information with other interfacing systems but rather are slaved to a particular content presentation system.
The present disclosure overcomes the above-mentioned limitations in existing systems by disclosing, among other things, systems and/or methods to identify a user interacting with a content presentation system, adaptively learn, in a passive manner, a user's pattern of accessing content over time, and globally store the user's identifying and use information.
According to one embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a novel method for switching from a first signal provided by a content provider to a second signal provided by the content provider, including identifying a user of a first content presentation system that is operatively connected to the content provider, where the content provider provides a plurality of signals to the first content presentation system, creating a first preferred channel list which includes channel information for each of select ones of the plural signals, where the preferred channel list is created based on the identity of the user and based on channel use information for the user during a recurring first time period, presenting substantially simultaneously to the user via the first content presentation system a first signal of the select ones of plural signals in a first frame and a second signal of the select ones of plural signals in a second frame, where the first frame is larger than the second frame, and switching the content presentation system so that the second signal is presented in a third frame that is larger than the second frame.
Furthermore, the above embodiment may include creating a second preferred channel list based on the identity of the user and based on previously determined information for the user wherein the information is determined for a recurring second time period, associating the second preferred channel list with a first actuator operable by the user for interacting with the first content presentation system, and operating the first actuator to thereby switch the first content presentation system from presenting a third signal provided by the content provider to presenting a fourth signal provided by the content provider.
According to another embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a novel system for switching from a first signal provided by a content provider to a second signal provided by the content provider, including a first content presentation system, circuitry for determining an identity of a user of the first content presentation system that is operatively connected to the content provider, where the content provider provides a plurality of signals to the first content presentation system, circuitry for creating a first preferred channel list which includes channel information for each of select ones of the plural signals, where the preferred channel list is created based on the identity of the user and based on channel use information for the user during a recurring first time period, circuitry for presenting substantially simultaneously to the user via the first content presentation system a first signal of the select ones of plural signals in a first frame and a second signal of the select ones of plural signals in a second frame, where the first frame is larger than the second frame, and circuitry for switching the content presentation system so that the second signal is presented in a third frame that is larger than the second frame.
Additionally, the above-described embodiment may further include circuitry for creating a second preferred channel list based on the identity of the user and based on previously determined information for the user where the information is determined for a recurring second time period, a first portable device including a first actuator which is operable by the user for interacting with the first content presentation system, and circuitry for associating the second preferred channel list with the first actuator operable by the user for interacting with the first content presentation system, where operating the first actuator switches the first content presentation system from presenting a third signal provided by the content provider to presenting a fourth signal provided by the content provider.
These and many other advantages of the present disclosure will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to which the disclosure pertains from a perusal of the claims, the appended drawings, and the following detailed description.